Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia Bread

When my son was younger, he was the world’s pickiest eater. As a foodie, it was incredibly frustrating. As a mom, it drove me crazy. How could I get any nutrition into him, when all he ate was chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and goldfish??

Thankfully, things changed as he grew up and his palate began to mature. It started slowly… mangoes, broccoli. Then he discovered kale chips, and now will eat kale no matter how I serve it to him.

Today, if you ask him what his favourite food is, he’ll likely say the chicken-fried gator and hushpuppies at Chewies. I knew he was turning into a real foodie when he recently asked me if we could have “that bread with the oil and vinegar you dip it into?” Yeah. He asked for that.

For more recipes featuring aquafaba, check out my new cookbook: Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba (Bean Water).

I have rosemary in abundance right now, so I decided to make fresh Focaccia with rosemary for us to dunk into olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Making your own Focaccia is not hard; but it does take a little time, so book your afternoon to babysit it.

Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia

Ingredients

• 1 tsp yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp aquafaba
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 3/4 cup white flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (divided)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, pour the warm water (just tap warm is fine) and sprinkle the yeast over it. Leave it for 5-10 minutes to bloom.
2. Next up, add in the aquafaba, and then start to mix in the flours. Add the salt and 1/2 tbsp of rosemary last and mix it all together. It will form a shaggy dough, you may need to get into the bowl with your hands and mix it up.
3. Pull the dough ball from the bowl and form it into a smooth ball. Place it back in the bowl, and pour over 1 tbsp of olive oil. Rub the olive oil all over the dough ball so it’s coated. Place a tea towel over the bowl, and then place it in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
4. Grease a 9″x9″ pan with olive oil.
5. Pull the dough from the bowl and punch it down. Place it in the 9″x9″ pan, and stretch it out so that it fills the entire pan. Brush with a little more olive oil on top, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tbsp of rosemary and some large flake salt. Cover again with the tea towel and allow to rise for about another hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the tea towel and gently make dents in the top of the bread with your finger. Drizzle over a little more olive oil, and then bake in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
7. Remove from the pan, cut into strips, and serve warm with olive oil and balsamic on the side for dipping.

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